Hamat Bah

Hamat Bah is a Gambian politician and leader of the National Reconciliation Party (NRP). Running as his party's presidential candidate in 2001, he placed third, winning 7.8% of the vote. He was previously a hotel worker before joining politics.

In January 2005, Bah's NRP joined four other opposition parties to form the National Alliance for Democracy and Development (NADD).

Soon after NADD was registered as a political party, the country's Supreme Court revoked Bah's National Assembly seat, which he won in 2002, for belonging to two parties at the same time. In a by-election held in June 2005, he lost his seat to a member of the ruling Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) party.

On 15 November 2005, Bah was arrested along with two other NADD leaders (Halifa Sallah of the People's Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism – PDOIS and Omar Jallow of the People's Progressive Party – PPP). They are accused of subversion.

Bah was defeated in the January 2007 parliamentary election. While not mentioning Bah by name, it was thought that President Yahya Jammeh was referring to Bah and Halifa Sallah when he expressed satisfaction at the defeat of "the two empty barrels in the National Assembly". [ [http://www.afrol.com/articles/24072 "Gambian President laughs at opponents"] , afrol News, January 29, 2007.]

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