Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa said that even though his rivals in the Sri Lanka Freedom Party are trying to chase his out of the party, they will have a hard time chasing him away from the party.

He made this observation answering a question put forward by a journalist when he was leaving the Presidential Commission of Inquiry today.

When asked about the plans to form a new party, Rajapaksa said that it should be asked from those who are planning to form the party.

"I am not involved in it. I am currently a member of a party, the SLFP. They try to chase me away, but they will have a hard time chasing me away" he said.