Indonesia explains delay to execution of Bali Nine pair

Andrew Chan holds Myuran Sukumaran in a holding cell at the Denpasar Courthouse before their respective sentencing trials at Denpasar Court on February 14, 2006. Photo / Getty Images

Indonesian authorities are waiting for a Nigerian drug boss and others to receive word their clemency bids have been rejected before scheduling their executions and that of two Australians.

Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan are pleading for Indonesia to spare their lives after their bid for clemency and a judicial review were rejected.

The Bali Nine drug smugglers have been on death row in Kerobokan jail since 2006.

They argue they would be of more use to Indonesia if they were allowed to remain in jail, helping inmates rehabilitate.

Attorney-General HM Prasetyo said on Wednesday he plans the next executions for "maybe within two weeks".

But yesterday he said he was still waiting for Nigerian inmate Silvester Obiekwe, and "more than three" others, to be notified their clemency applications had been rejected before proceeding.

President Joko Widodo had signed the correspondence but it passes through several hands before arriving with the prisoners concerned.

Indonesia already has eight drug offenders in line for execution - one Indonesian, the two Australians and five other foreigners.

It means as many as 12 prisoners could be executed in the next round.

"I hope it will be issued immediately," Mr Prasetyo said of Obiekwe's letter.

"This time it will take more time because those to be executed are not in one place, they are scattered in several prisons."

Embassies and families have to be notified and police, religious leaders and doctors readied, Mr Prasetyo said.

"As I've said, this is not a fun job, not a pleasing job, but we have to do it."

Authorities want Obiekwe to face the firing squad soon, after he was caught running a drug racket from behind bars on central Java's Nusakambangan island, also the likely location for the executions.

- AAP