Kai

The Kai was the religious leader of Bajor, who is elected to a life term by the Vedek Assembly. A Kai had supreme religious power over the Bajorans, surpassed only by that of the Emissary of the Prophets. A Kai also had a great deal of political influence on the Bajoran Provisional Government, and in extreme circumstances the Kai could serve in political offices such as First Minister of Bajor. 

History
In the latter part of the 22nd century, Kai Taluno travelled aboard a starship, which was disabled for several days in the Denorios Belt. This was where Taluno claimed that he had a vision from the Prophets. Furthermore, Taluno reported that the heavens opened up and nearly swallowed his ship. At a peace conference, he was noted to have had met one of the hosts of (presumably Tobin). 

Opaka Sulan was Kai during the closing years of the Occupation of Bajor, and was responsible for the Kendra Valley Massacre in 2368 when she informed the Cardassian Guard of the location of a Bajoran Resistance cell to prevent them from killing over 1,200 civilians. Her own son Opaka Fasil was among the dead. 

In 2369, following the Cardassian withdrawal, Major Kira Nerys suggested that her CO Commander Benjamin Sisko seek out Kai Opaka for help in unifying the shattered Bajoran people. Opaka identified Sisko as the Emissary of the Prophets and gave him one of the Orbs, which led him to the discovery of the Bajoran wormhole. 

Opaka later traveled to the Gamma Quadrant with Sisko and Kira, but was killed when their runabout USS Yangtzee Kiang was shot down by orbital defense platforms and crash-landed on the Ennis moon. Revived by the nanites on the moon but unable to leave with the others, she was forced to abdicate, and devoted herself to ending the conflict between the Ennis and Nol-Ennis. 

The election of the next Kai came down to two dramatically different competitors, the Federation-friendly Bareil Antos and the ambitious reactionary Winn Adami. Bareil was forced to withdraw from the race after being implicated as the Bajoran collaborator in the Kendra Valley Massacre, though he was in fact protecting Kai Opaka's reputation and memory. As a result, Winn won the election. 

Winn Adami used her position to negotiate with the Cardassians and later the Dominion. In late 2373, she began negotiations with Weyoun for Bajor to sign an nonaggression pact. 

After Winn Adami was killed by Skrain Dukat in the Fire Caves, several Vedeks began to campaign for the title. Among the most prominent were Yevir Linjarin, Solis Tendren and Ungtae. 

In late 2376, the Vedek Assembly began deliberating and taking statements in preparation of an election for a new Kai. 

Vedek Pralon Onala had become Kai in 2377. 

By 2409, Kira Nerys had become Kai.