"We must have a government that is accountable to the people, not the other way around"

A call for democratic sovereignty is embedded here: rulers are custodians of public authority and must answer to the citizens whose power they temporarily hold. Accountability is not a slogan but a structure. It means those in office are constrained by law, compelled to explain their decisions, and subject to consequences when they violate the public trust. Elections are one instrument, but not the only one; meaningful accountability requires transparent budgeting, open records, independent courts, vigorous parliamentary oversight, free media, and protections for whistleblowers and dissenters.

The phrase’s sting lies in the reversal it rejects: when people are made to answer to the government, the social contract has been inverted. That inversion breeds impunity and fear. Citizens become petitioners rather than principals, compelled to justify their lives to power, through arbitrary permits, surveillance, or loyalty tests, while officials evade scrutiny. Such arrangements often arise under the pretext of stability or emergency, yet they corrode competence, invite corruption, and erase dignity.

Accountability is also a civic discipline. It requires citizens who vote, organize, ask hard questions, and defend institutions even when their preferred faction holds power. Without public engagement, formal checks atrophy; with it, even strong leaders remain servants of a constitutional order. Decentralization, competitive parties, independent auditors, and a robust civil society transform ideals into enforceable habits.

The statement resonates in transitional and established systems alike. Post-authoritarian societies must guard against the reflex to prioritize state prerogatives over individual rights. Mature democracies must resist the slow drift toward unreviewable executive authority, often justified by security or convenience. The standard is simple: public office is a trust, not an entitlement, and policies draw legitimacy from informed consent.

Ultimately, accountability is the everyday practice of freedom. When it falters, the people serve the state. When it flourishes, the state serves the people, and earns the authority it wields.