Saïd Sadi

Saïd Sadi (Kabyle: Saεid Seεdi) (born 26 August 1947) is an Algerian politician who was President of the Rally for Culture and Democracy (RCD) until 2012.

Born at Aghribs, now in Tizi Ouzou Province, Sadi is a psychiatrist by profession. He was among the first Berber intellectuals who, from the early days of the country's independence in 1962, began to openly challenge by peaceful means the Algerian government policies of oppression and denial of the rights of the Berber population. He was jailed on several occasions for his political views.

Following the collapse of the one-party state in 1988, Sadi founded the RCD in 1989 on the basis of secularism and cultural pluralism; the party has found a niche as a Liberal party espousing Kabyle Berber grievances.

He was a candidate in the 1995 presidential election and received 9% of the vote. He boycotted the 1999 presidential election but participated in the 2004 presidential election, receiving 1.9% of the vote on that occasion.

Sadi announced on 15 January 2009 that the RCD would not participate in the April 2009 presidential election, which he described as a "pathetic and dangerous circus", saying that to participate "would be tantamount to complicity in an operation of national humiliation".

On 9 March 2012 he officially resigned from the presidency of the RCD at a party congress. Mohcine Belabbes was elected as his replacement the following day, at the same congress.

Dr Sadi is the author of several books and pamphlets, including Askuti, which is generally acknowledged to be the first novel written in Berber.

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