Svetozar Stefanovic, head of the Ohrid public water utility company where he was appointed by the ruling SDSM party, issued a death threat to an opposition activist.

Stefanovic was commenting on a Facebook post by journalist Vasko Eftov, who was sharing his interview with Aleksandar Pandov from the opposition VMRO-DPMNE party. “They belong on the chair”, Stefanovic responded, clearly meaning the electric chair.

Under the Zaev regime, the police is often used to intimidate ordinary citizens who would write a comment about Zaev and other officials of the ruling SDSM party, and usually cursing them is considered a death threat. It remains to be seen whether a direct call for violence from a local official will be viewed in the same light.