Sri Lanka's parliament is set to move a resolution in January which would convert the house into a constitutional assembly paving the way for the process of drafting a new constitution and abolishing the executive presidential system.

Officials said the constitutional assembly would be formed on January 9, the first day of President Maithripala Sirisena's second year in office.

Thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the North-East have been affected by heavy flooding in the area reports ucanews.com, with many at risk of starvation.

Charity Sister Nicola Emmanuel, a Catholic nun who runs a program for Tamil war widows said the IDPs "live in low lying areas and the wells that they have dug for drinking water have caved in because of the floods".

"They are on the verge of becoming homeless again and risk becoming victims of starvation," she said

Sri Lanka’s Fisheries Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said over $100 million per year after the European Union’s ban on imports of fish caught in Sri Lanka.

"We are losing over $100 million per year because of this ban,” said Mr Amaraweera. However, he stated the government was expecting the ban to be lifted “before the Sinhala and Tamil New Year (local new year) in 2016".

"During the coming months, the proposal to lift the fishing ban will be presented to the European Parliament," said the minister, adding “we are expecting a favourable response from them”.

A group of 5 Nepalese girls have been rescued from being trafficked into Sri Lanka, reports the Himalayan Times.

The five girls were being taken to Mahendranagar, from where it was reported they were to be smuggled into India and finally into Sri Lanka.

Earlier this year, the US State Department stated that “the Government of Sri Lanka does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking” in its annual ‘Trafficking in Persons Report’, placing Sri Lanka on the’ Tier 2 Watch List’ for a third consecutive year.

Leaked US embassy cables also revealed Tamil paramilitaries ran prostitution rings for Sri Lankan troops in government-controlled parts of the Northeast, and child sex trafficking rings using their networks in India and Malaysia, with the knowledge and support of the Sri Lankan government.

The Sri Lankan navy has also been accused of being directly involved with human trafficking, especially that of Tamil asylum seekers, looking to flee the island.

The leader of the Tamil National Alliance, Rajavarothayam Sampanthan says the party will not encourage acceptance or accept members of other organisations without the consent of the leadership, when asked about the formation of the Tamil People's Council.

Mr Sampanthan said acceptance of the TPC, which is chaired by Northern Province Chief Minister CV Wigneswaran, would "create confusion and complications in the future", Ceylon Today reported.

"I cannot make any comment with regard to the formation of the Tamil People's Council. I will make a comment later. I shall not rush it" he said.

The TPC has the support of a wide range of Tamil civil society groups and political actors, including sitting MPs of the TNA.

Two Sri Lankan war ships are on a three day visit to the South Indian port in Kochi, Kerala.

TNA MP Seenithamby Yogeswaran says the Sri Lankan government has failed to support the party and let it down, despite the TNA's indirect support.

"There is a change in government but we have not changed the people. It is the same people in a new government. That is the difference between the former and present government," the Batticaloa MP said at an event in Kalkuda, Ceylon Today reported.