Former UNC candidate attacks Young on 'gas station' comment

FORMER UNC candidate Eli Zakour objected to statements made by Energy Minister Stuart Young about failed UNC general election candidates being given gas stations.

Zakour, who unsuccessfully contested against Young for the Port of Spain North/St Ann's West seat in the September 7, 2015, general election, claimed Young made this statement during debate on the Finance Bill in the Senate on July 6. Zakour was defeated by Finance Minister Colm Imbert when he challenged Imbert for the Diego Martin/North East seat in the August 10, 2020, general election.

In a statement, Zakour claimed that Young was making misleading statements about the legitimate business operators and leaseholders of NP gas stations.

He said by extension, this attack was also on the integrity of the state-owned National Petroleum Marketing Company Limited (NP).

Zakour claimed Young was telling gas station owners "stay out of the political arena or parliamentary privileges will be used to make them look like illegitimate businesspersons."

Zakour said he is shareholder and managing director of a company which operates the NP Diego Martin gas station. He said that company "legitimately participated in a fully transparent tender process in 2011 (when the UNC-led People's Partnership coalition was in office)."

Zakour said, "The tender process was executed after the unfortunate passing of the operator who previously managed and operated the NP Diego Martin Gas Station."

He said he became the UNC's Port of Spain North / St. Ann’s West in 2015, "some four years after his company’s bid for the lease was entered and accepted."

Zakour said the contract took effect in October 2017, and the site was handed over to him by then energy minister Franklin Khan, who died on April 17.

He said it was "irresponsible, mischievous, reckless, and totally unfounded" for Young to claim the contract was awarded due to political connections.

Zakour said he would write to Speaker of the House of Representatives Bridgid Annisette-George and Senate President Christine Kangaloo on this matter.

While Young has the right to freedom of speech as an elected MP, Zakour said, "This does not equate to a freedom for misleading the public by speaking untruths about members of the opposition."

He added that while he was branded a "failed" UNC candidate, Young was given a traditional PNM safe seat to contest and this has "paved a sweat-free path of privilege to his political career."