Former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa declared yesterday that a new 'party of the people' should be formed as an alternative to the Sri Lanka Freedom Party.

Speaking to the media before leaving the Special Presidential Commission of Inquiry, Rajapaksa said that the 'Good Governance' government has done nothing of value but instead has created a police state.

Recalling a statement by his brother former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the former Defence Secretary said that the 'Good Governance' group had 'captured' the SLFP. Therefore, a new 'party of the people' should be formed, he added.

When it was pointed out to Rajapaksa that some SLFP members had joined the government, he responded by saying that it was merely part of politics. The vital factor is the people's opinion, he added.