stunned House of Assembly.

For the man who led the United Bermuda Party Government for more than a decade announced his intention to quit his Paget East seat before the next session of Parliament in May.

Sir John's shock announcement came during the motion to adjourn on the last House session before the Easter recess.

But last night confusion reigned over whether Sir John would actually resign after a quarter-century as an MP.

Sir John told the House of Assembly: "There comes a time when one has to say `where does one want to put one's time in terms of the years one has left'.'' He added: "It's appropriate for me to leave this House over the Easter holiday -- I have no doubt that this Country can continue to move on.'' In what sounded like a political last will and testament, Sir John appealed for national unity to face the "treacherous seas'' ahead.

He warned: "They will not be easy seas....it can only be done if there is a collective effort and collective will -- we cannot afford to be at odds with each other.'' Sir John's shock announcement took many MPs on both sides of the House by surprise.

But he confused his Parliamentary colleagues when he said he would be speaking to his constituency committee about resigning.

And he left the door of the House open for a return -- if his Paget East electors convince him to stay.

Sir John said: "During this Easter holiday, I will meet with my committee in Paget East, sit down and talk to them to see if this should be and can be the time to allow myself to remove myself from Parliament.

"I will step down if the committee can make the appropriate arrangements and allow myself the opportunity to do some other things which I believe are necessary and allow someone else to take my place and carry the torch.'' Progressive Labour Party backbencher Ottiwell Simmons expressed the bewilderment of much of the House at Sir John's ambiguous statement when he admitted he "had a problem''.

Mr. Simmons said: "One had got the impression he had resigned -- but I don't know.'' Premier David Saul said he had "the highest admiration'' for Sir John and Lady Swan "for being able to don that mantle of Premier and take it, not for a decade, but more than a decade''.

But Dr. Saul added that a Premiership of that length was "not something I would recommend for anyone else to try and emulate''.

Dr. Saul -- who succeeded Sir John as Premier following his resignation in the wake of the 1995 Independence Referendum -- said Sir John was an example to other MPs.

He added: "Sir John is an exemplar of why we are here today -- for sacrifice and service.'' And Dr. Saul said all MPs should examine their consciences following Sir John's speech.

He added: "All of us should particularly say `right, are we continuing to do the job we came up here to do -- give service and sacrifice?'.'' Earlier Mr. Simmons said he would continue on the assumption that Sir John's speech was a resignation one.

Mr. Simmons said: "If he is resigning I would want to say to him as a member of the UBP... .for those that he has represented, he has done an excellent job, much to my regret in some ways.'' But he added: "I don't want it to be misunderstood that Sir John Swan has done a lot in the way I think he should have done it. He's failed miserably there.'' Swan's bombshell But Mr. Simmons added that he and Sir John both came from North Village and said the area was proud of the son who made Premier.

He said: "Anybody who represented Front Street and the type of constituency Sir John does... they should have given him the opportunity to make the kind of statesmanlike speech he intended to make on this floor today.'' Mr. Simmons added: "It is a sadder note than he would have struck if he continued to be Premier and resigned as Premier and his seat at the same time.'' And Mr. Simmons ended that the House was entitled to know if there really would be a by-election in Paget East with another person replacing Sir John.

MPs and Ministers queued up to pay tribute to Sir John, who entered Parliament in 1972 and led the UBP for 13 years.

Former Health and Social Services Minister Harry Soares said he had known Sir John since 1961 -- and said that the ex-Premier had "made a contribution beyond anyone I know''.

He added: "The mother of all social obligations is to be Premier of your Country. I would like to say on behalf of my family and the people of Bermuda, thank you from the bottom of my heart.'' The Progressive Labour Party's Leon (Jimmy) Williams said: "He has made a significant contribution to this Country and many young people can look to him for the contribution he has made.

"He is a leader -- to a lot of young men looking up to another young Bermudian and saying `if he has made it, I can make it also'.'' Health and Social Services Minister Dr. Clarence Terceira said he had no idea Sir John was planning to quit.

He added: "He has achieved the accolade of senior statesman -- Sir John Swan guided us through some turbulent times.

"We forget so easily what people do in the past and we don't always thank them subsequently.'' Tourism Minister David Dodwell said that Sir John had convinced him to stand for a seat in Southampton and predicted -- if it was Sir John's last House speech -- new things would be heard about him in the coming weeks and months.

House Speaker Ernest DeCouto also rose to pay tribute to long-time colleague Sir John.

He said: "Whenever a Member retires from this Chamber, if that is what he is doing, particularly after serving more than 25 years in the Government at a very high level, there is a feeling of sadness and a feeling we must offer an expression of gratitude for his very long service and guidance in the Government of these Islands.'' BOMBSHELL -- Sir John Swan