Percival James Patterson - Definition and Overview

The Right Honourable Percival Noel James Patterson (born April 10, 1935) is the current Prime Minister of Jamaica (since 1992) and is the leader of the Jamaican People's National Party.

Patterson is Jamaica's longest-serving Prime Minister. A longtime member of the PNP, he served in a variety of cabinet posts under Prime Minister Michael Manley, then became Prime Minister himself when Manley resigned in 1992. He has since been re-elected three times.

Patterson is said to be Jamaica's first black Prime Minister, and campaigned on a message of returning the country to the hands of its racial majority. Most of Jamaica's past Prime Ministers have been from mixed racial backgrounds, though often appeared physically Caucasian.

He made headlines in 2004 when it was announced that Jamaica (as well as Saint Kitts and Nevis and Venezuela) would not recognize the internationally-installed government of Gérard Latortue in Haiti following the alleged resignation of Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Patterson has been instrumental in arranging for Aristide to take up temporary residence in Jamaica during Aristide's lawsuit against the United States and France accusing the countries of kidnapping him. He is a graduate of the University of the West Indies.