The prospect of Indonesia reverting back to death row prisoner executions in a matter of weeks has been clarified as only “a joke”.

A spokesman for Indonesian Attorney-General HM Prasetyo said the minister was “joking” when he recently said the nation may resume executions after the rainy season.

• The countries locking up Australians most often
• Indonesia announces moratorium on executions

Indonesian ministers have repeatedly said the nation would begin executing death row prisoners when its economy picks up.

Asked for a specific date, Attorney-General HM Prasetyo told Indonesia’s MetroTV: “We will have to see because it’s rainy season now. We have to wait until the weather get better.”

The wet season normally ends in April.

A spokesman for the minister told the ABC the minister was not being serious.

“He means the execution is a priority, but it needs preparation and of course the priority for Indonesia currently is the economy,” he said.

Indonesia has not killed any death row prisoners for almost 12 months and authorities said the country would resume executions when the economy improved.

Australians ringleaders of the Bali Nine, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, were executed by firing squad in Indonesia in April last year.

-ABC