Many member planets did not like what the Republic had become, so they left the Republic and created a new government, the Separatists. Count Dooku was the leader of the Separatists, but it was really created by Palpatine himself, and Dooku was his apprentice. Palpatine did this because he was trying to start a war. His plan was to use the war to weaken the Republic and destroy the Jedi so that he could create the Empire. His apprentice Dooku also created an army of clones so that the Republic would have an army to fight the war. Palpatine should have stopped being Chancellor long ago, but he stayed being Chancellor because the Senate voted that he can have emergency powers. That meant that he could pass any law he wanted to because the Republic was fighting a war against the Separatists. 