By Ainur Romah
JAKARTA
Indonesia's attorney general reaffirmed Friday that two Australians on death row would be executed for drug trafficking, despite continued pleas for clemency.
Muhammad Prasetyo said that “nothing” could be done to stop the executions of Andrew Chan, 31, and Myuran Sukumaran, 33, adding that it would be better if they were carried out "as soon as possible."
"There’s basically nothing whatsoever that will hamper the implementation of this decision,” he told reporters. "We actually think that the faster [execution] will be better."
For weeks campaigners have been clamoring for the ringleaders of the so-called Bali Nine heroin trafficking group to be given clemency after Indonesia stated they would be among the next group of prisoners to be executed.
Supporters have underlined the men's rehabilitation in Bali’s Kerobokan prison, and on Wednesday Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott warned Indonesia of prospective retaliatory action if the executions went ahead.
"We will be making our displeasure known," Abbott told journalists during a doorstop interview in Queensland.
Supporters were given a slither of hope Tuesday when a delay was announced in their transfer to the high security prison on Nusa Kambangan Island, Central Java, where they will face firing squads.
Prasetyo denied Friday that the delay had been caused by any outside pressure, but rather it was caused by technical problems.
The cell in Nusa Kambangan was too narrow to accommodate more than five people, and it therefore needed to be expanded, he explained.
"Executions are not a simple or fun event. But once everything is okay, they should be conducted," he added.
A spokesman for the vice president's Office, Husain Abdullah, said that Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop had called Vice President Jusuf Kalla to thank him for delaying the transfer.
Australia’s Fairfax Media reported that she had also asked Kalla for an indefinite stay of execution for the men and underlined her country's willingness to work on combating the drugs trade with Jakarta.
“Both of our countries are victims of drug syndicates. We’ve proposed ways we can work together to save the lives of Indonesians from the drug problem and I reiterated that to Mr. Kalla,” she said.
Spokesman Abdullah said, however, that the vice president had explained that the delay was solely due to technical problems, but said Kalla had conveyed his "willingness and readiness to enhance cooperation in the region to reduce the circulation of narcotic drugs."
Attorney General Prasetyo had earlier confirmed that death row inmates with mental disorders would still undergo execution. One of the men scheduled to be executed with the two Australians - Brazilian Rodrigo Gularte is reported to be mentally ill.
"There is no one rule that prohibits the execution of people with mental disorders," Kompas.com quoted him as saying Friday.
It added that Prasetyo had detailed that only pregnant women and children under the age of 18 are forbidden to undergo execution.
Chan and Sukumaran - from Sydney - led a gang that attempted to smuggle 8.3 kilograms (18 pounds) of heroin valued at $3.2 million from Indonesia to Australia in April 2005.
The other seven members were sentenced to life terms.
In January, Widodo said he would refuse clemency for 64 drugs offenders facing execution, citing the harm caused to Indonesia by illegal narcotics.
On Jan. 18 five foreigners and an Indonesian convicted of drugs offenses were executed by firing squad despite diplomatic pleas for a last minute reprieve.
Indonesia has said 20 executions are scheduled for this year.
