Sri Lanka’s parliament decided to delay the debate on implementation of the 19th Amendment after protests against summoning of Mahinda Rajakapsa to the bribery commission disrupted proceedings on Tuesday.

The 19th Amendment, which looks to curb the powers of executive presidency will be taken up for debate on the 27th of April and voted for on the 28th, reports Colombo Page.

The Sri Lankan President, confirmed that the next general parliamentary elections will be held after the 19th and 20th amendments to the constitution were implemented, reports Colombo Page.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) passed a resolution stating that the situation in Sri Lanka remains a “matter of concern”, calling for the restoration of lands seized from Tamils and the implementation of the 13th amendment.

Over 60 MPs in Sri Lanka staged a protest against the summoning of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa by the bribery commission in parliament today.

The MPs, including Mr Rajapaksa's son Namal Rajapaksa, sat on floor and disrupted proceedings, causing the adjournment of parliament until Tuesday.

We are protesting in Parliament today against the Bribery Commission summoning @PresRajapaksa. #SriLanka pic.twitter.com/74mbmFT18t — Namal Rajapaksa (@RajapaksaNamal) April 20, 2015

They handed over a petition urging a written assurance from President Maithripala Sirisena that the former president will be safe.

The UPFA MPs objected to the bribery commission's summoning of Mr Rajapaksa to appear before it on April 24, on charges he promised a ministerial post to former UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake for his cross over.

The first planned transfer of asylum seekers on Nauru to Cambodia has been cancelled due to "logistical errors" Australian Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said.

However, activists say the refugees refused to sign the transfer documents.

Under a $40mn deal, refugees rejected by Australia, who are being detained on the island of Nauru, are being offered between AU$10,000 to AU$15,000 to accept a transfer to Cambodia.

Only 5 refugees, three Tamils, one Rohingya and one Iranian, are said to have agreed to the transfer.

A Turkish business delegation looking to invest in Sri Lanka will be visiting the island soon, reports the official news portal of the Sri Lankan government.

The Turkish Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Iskender Okyay, said that the delegation would look to invest in the manufacturing, tourism and other sectors, speaking at a press brief hosted last week.

The Tamil National Alliance MP MA Sumanthiran says the party has no allegiance to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and is not committed to their ideology, adding the TNA is not in favour of "terrorism".

Speaking to the Sunday Leader, Mr Sumanthiran said:

"[W]e do not have any allegiance to the LTTE nor are we committed to their ideology. We stand up for the rights of the Tamil people but we are not in favour of terrorism nor do we encourage it and everyone knows this."

Mr Sumanthiran also said there is no truth in rumours that the LTTE may return, saying the people are steadfast in not allowing "terrorism" to return.

"This is just an attempt by certain parties to create fear among the people. There is absolutely no truth in the claims that the LTTE is attempting to regroup. But even if there is such a move the people will not allow it or support it as it is they who have suffered the most during the war. Therefore the people are quite steadfast in not allowing such terrorism to begin again as they know that they will be the ones that are worst affected," he said.

The TNA, formed in 2001, officially backed the LTTE until 2009. Since the end of the armed conflict, the party leadership has offered contradicting views on its support for the organisation.

The Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence has issued over 3,000 licenses to individuals to bear firearms in the country and training on the use of weaponry, reports the Sunday Leader.

“Politicians, security force personnel and leading businessmen” were amongst those who received the licenses, with around 200 of those people reportedly receiving training at the Special Task Force (STF) camp in Katukurunda.

A group of fishermen from Tamil Nadu were injured after attackers on board a fast craft vessel coming from the island of Sri Lanka, boarded their boats and assaulted them.

The Deccan Chronicle says that 5 attackers, alleged to be sea pirates from Sri Lanka, boarded the fishing vessels as they were fishing off the coast of Point Calimere on Friday night.

Sri Lanka and Japan plan to formulate and sign a Free Trade Agreement between the two countries to enhance bilateral trade, reports Colombo Page.

Sri Lanka Japan Business Co-operation Committee said that it is preparing for a future Free Trade Agreement, during a meeting between in Colombo with the Japanese Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Nabuhitho Hobo.

A report by the World Bank on South East Asia, noting structural barriers to competitiveness in Sri Lanka, predicted a decline in Sri Lanka's growth to 6.9 percent due to several factors including slowing down in the construction industry.