Jules Bourdes-Ogouliguende

Jules-Aristide Bourdes-Ogouliguende (born 28 February 1938) is a Gabonese politician who is the President of the Congress for Democracy and Justice (CDJ), an opposition party. He served as a minister in the government of Gabon from 1976 to 1990 and was President of the National Assembly from 1990 to 1993; since 1993 he has been an opposition leader.

A member of the Myene () ethnic group, Bourdes-Ogouliguende was born in Libreville. He attended primary and secondary school in Libreville and Port-Gentil and then continued his studies in France. While studying in France, he was a member of the Lille section of the Federation of Students of Black French Africa from 1961 to 1962, and he headed the Lille section of the Union of Catholic African Students from 1962 to 1964. Later, he was the President of the General Association of the Students of Gabon from November 1967 to June 1968.

Back in Gabon, Bourdes-Ogouliguende began a career in law in 1968. He was Legal Adviser to the Ministry of Justice from 5 June 1972 to 15 November 1972. Subsequently he was Vice-President of the Judicial Chamber of the Supreme Court from 15 November 1972 to 25 June 1973 and President of the Judicial Chamber of the Supreme Court from 25 June 1973 to 15 March 1976. At the January 1973 extraordinary congress of the Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG), he became a member of the party's Central Committee.

Bourdes-Ogouliguende was appointed to the government as Minister of the Civil Service on 15 March 1976, and his responsibilities were expanded when he was appointed as Minister of the Civil Service and Justice on 15 February 1978. He joined the PDG Political Bureau at the party's 1979 congress. In the government, he was promoted to the position of Minister of State for Labour and Employment on 22 August 1981, and he was moved to the position of Minister of State for Higher Education, Scientific Research, the Environment and the Protection of Nature on 15 March 1983. Subsequently his portfolio was reduced and he served as Minister of State for Higher Education and Scientific Research from 27 March 1984 until January 1990, when he was replaced in the wake of student unrest at Omar Bongo University. He then served briefly as Minister of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, and the Rural Economy until April 1990. Following the March–April 1990 National Conference, he was Minister of Trade, Consumption, Industry, and Relations with Parliament from April 1990 to November 1990.

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