Former SDSM party official Stojko Paunovski gave his first interview after being dismissed by party leader Zoran Zaev for his refusal to hire unqualified ethnic Albanians in the product safety inspection service. Speaking with TV24, Paunovski said that he is happy that he received support from the public and pointed to his long standing in the SDSM party.

What are they going to do, kick me out of the party? If the party is their property, if it is really a private party now, they can kick me out. I’ve been in SDSM since its founding in 1991, Paunovski said, adding that he did not follow the online party congress, where delegates spoke out in his favor and condemned Zaev for his ordering his removal under pressure from the DUI Albanian partner.