GORDON HOUSE, the seat of Jamaica's bicameral legislature, will be standing room only today when members of both the Upper and Lower Houses of Parliament gather to pay tribute to Edward Seaga for the role he played in crafting the post-Independence parliamentary landscape.

Former members of parliament, public officials and members of the diplomatic corps will also be in attendance to hear current legislators pour accolades on the man who spent some 43 years of unbroken service as a lawmaker.

Asked whether he thought the occasion was historic, the former prime minister said: "You don't give two-thirds of your life in service to a cause without it becoming historic and the achievements that go with that making a difference in the lives of people."

The tributes will be done as part of Jamaica 50 celebrations.

Seaga is the only surviving member of the team that drafted the Jamaican Constitution. He is also one of three surviving members of the first Parliament of independent Jamaica.

Seaga also holds the distinction of being Jamaica's longest serving member of parliament, having represented the constituency of West Kingston from 1962 until he retired in 2005.