AT approximately 4:50 pm yesterday, Percival James Patterson handed in his letter of resignation to Governor-General Professor Kenneth Hall at a brief ceremony in the King’s House drawing room, symbolically marking the end of a long political journey, including 14 years as prime minister of Jamaica.

The resignation paved the way for history to unfold, coming 10 minutes before the ceremony to swear-in the country’s first woman prime minister in Portia Lucretia Simpson Miller.

When the moment came, Patterson seemed the man Jamaica had come to know – calm, poised, certain he had made the decision he wanted to make and ready to make light of a serious situation.

“I can assure you that this is the original copy,” quipped Patterson before handing the envelope bearing the letter of resignation to Hall, who joked that Patterson would now be able to sleep late.

“At least in another month or so,” said Hall, as Patterson acknowledged that probably would be the case.

In five minutes it was all over.

Patterson, 70, had earlier informed the Observer that he intended to focus on writing his memoirs and the history of the Jamaican and Caribbean people, having turned down at least five offers with multi-lateral institutions including the United Nations (UN), wishing to benefit from his considerable experience as an international negotiator.

The brief resignation ceremony was also witnessed by incoming prime minister, Portia Simpson Miller and her husband Errald Miller; three Caribbean prime ministers – Trinidad and Tobago’s Patrick Manning; Owen Arthur of Barbados; Ralph Gonsalves of St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Chief Minister Michael Misick of the Turks and Caicos; former Governor-General, Sir Howard Cooke; and Rhema Hall, wife of the present governor-general.

Patterson’s resignation also brought to a close an unprecedented period as Jamaica’s longest serving prime minister with 14 years unbroken service and 25 years in Parliament, during which he held more portfolios at the ministerial level than any other minister, covering tourism, mining, industry, foreign affairs, trade, finance and defence, in addition to the office of prime minister.

He will shortly resign as member of parliament for eastern Westmoreland, the last vestige of representational politics which began in 1958 when he joined Norman Manley’s People’s National Party as an organiser.

Revered and vilified at one and the same time, Patterson is unchallenged as Jamaica’s most successful political leader electorally, having led his party to a record three victories, breaking the hitherto accepted two-term cycle and contributing to the longest run in government of any political party in Jamaica’s history – 17 years – by his PNP, now in the latter stages of a fourth term.

But the election victories belie what has at times been a tenuous period of governance, marked by a number of challenges including low economic growth; the meltdown of the financial sector in the mid-90s; a monstrous crime and violence problem marked by unchecked murders; declining values and attitudes societally; questionable issues related to a lack of governmental accountability; and latterly a serious energy crisis caused by massive world oil price increases.

At the same time, Patterson has presided over massive investment in infrastructure including quantum increases in the capacity of Jamaica’s sea and airports, new highways, water systems and housing construction and land reform, as well as record foreign investment flows.

The quality of life has also improved in the eyes of many who now have far easier access to telephones, piped water, electricity and motor vehicles than 17 years ago.

Statisticians acknowledge that far more Jamaicans now attend schools and universities and that universal indicators of well being, such as the country’s infant mortality rate and average life expectancy, are comparable to developed countries.