Tony Abbott is still waiting for a “final call” with Indonesia’s president over the fate of Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran.

The prime minister last week revealed he had asked to speak to Joko Widodo after the Australians were transferred to the Nusakambangan prison island for execution.

Mr Abbott said on Sunday he had already had several conversations with the Indonesian leader.

“I’ve requested another one. At this stage, it hasn’t been able to be arranged,” he said.

In an interview with broadcaster Al Jazeera on Saturday, Mr Widodo defended his decision to allow the executions, which have sparked diplomatic tensions with Canberra.

However, he said the government would be open to abolishing the death penalty if the Indonesian people wanted change.

“The constitution and existing laws still allow (the death penalty) but in the future if it is necessary to change it and the people really want it, why not?” he said.

Chan and Sukumaran were due to be executed as early as this weekend but Indonesia says it will now wait for the legal appeals of the Bali Nine duo and other death-row inmates, meaning they could be on Nusakambangan for weeks.