Paul Gondjout

Paul Marie Indjendjet Gondjout
Member of the Senate of France
In office 24 July 1949 – 7 June 1958
President of the National Assembly of Gabon[1]
In office March 1957 – February 1961
Preceded by	Post established
Succeeded by	Louis Bigmann
President of the Economic Council
In office 1962–1964
President of the National Assembly of Gabon[1]
In office April 1975 – February 1980
Preceded by	Georges Aleka Damas
Succeeded by	Augustin Boumah
Personal details
Born	(1912-06-04)4 June 1912 Gabon
Died	1 July 1990(1990-07-01) (aged 78) Libreville, Gabon
Political party	Gabonese Democratic Bloc

Paul Marie Indjendjet Gondjout (4 June 1912 – 1 July 1990) was a Gabonese politician and civil servant, and the father of Laure Gondjout, another prominent Gabonese politician. Gondjout was a member of the Mpongwe ethnic group, and served in the French colonial administration from 1928, and founded the Cercle amical et mutualiste des évolués de Port-Gentil in 1943. He was a delegate to the French Senate from 1949 to 1958, and founded the Gabonese Democratic Bloc (BDG). In 1954, Léon M'ba joined the party and eventually overthrew Gondjout as leader.

In 1960, then President M'ba reshuffled the government without consulting Parliament. When Gondjout filed a motion of censure he was charged with attempting a coup d'état and sentenced to two years in prison. Following his release, M'ba appointed him to the largely symbolic post of President of the Economic Council, in part to silence the threat he represented.

Gondjout served as Minister of State during the abortive 1964 Gabon coup d'état but was acquitted of all charges during his subsequent trial. He lived outside public view from his 1966 acquittal to his death on 1 July 1990 and there is little record of his life during this period.