JAKARTA. Aug 7: Indonesia's beleaguered President Abdurrahman Wahid today apologised for his mistakes, saying he would take a backseat in government in the future and pledging an all out effort to keep the country from tearing itself apart, reports AFP.

"A cabinet reshuffle will be done when the time is right," Wahid said tn a progress report to an annual session of the upper house, or People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).

"A cabinet reshuffle also means that there will be a division of tasks ... hence the president will focus on foreign affairs, assisted by the foreign minister."

He added, without naming names, that others would take care of the "technical aspects," or the day-to-day running, of Internal affairs.

To all the people of Indonesia. 1 seek to apologise. If In this past nine months the government has not been able to fully overcome all

problems, but trust us to work hard and continue to fight to do more."

He also appealed for a unified effort to transform Indonesia into a democracy and pull the economy out of recession.

T have to say ... the government needs the support of all the people of Indonesia."

Wahid was elected president after Indonesia's first democratic general election In October 1999. He has since largely failed to live up to the optimism that accompanied his victory and the defeat of president B.J. Habibie, which saw an end to more than 30 years of iron-fisted rule by former president Suharto or his protege.

The unrest that plagues large-parts of the vast Indonesian archipelago, in which thousands of people have died and hundreds of thousands of others displaced, has also continued unabated.

In the Maluku islands, 19 months of Christian-Muslim violence has left 4.000 people

dead. Separatism has also been growing at both ends of the country. In Aceh in the west and Irian Jaya in the east.

In his speech. Wahid promised broad autonomy as early as this year for Aceh and Irian Jaya.

The provinces would have t heir own Judiciary, police, education and legal systems and a greater share of revenues from the region's riches, he said.

But the 60-year-old president repeated his opposition to separatism. which he cited as one of the "main problems" facing the vast archipelago of 210 million

Die president has further been accused of having no clear policy to restore the country's ailing economy — bring the rupiah currency down to close to 9,500 to the dollar last month — and tainted by allegations of corruption in his inner circle.

Wahid admitted in his speech Improvements were "still too small” and had fallen short of

expectations, but insisted the country was emerging from its worst crisis In decades.

Wahid's supporters have talked of a conspiracy to destabilise the country by supporters of Suharto.

But many critics have said Wahid's "rainbow” coalition cabinet. cobbled together nine months ago to accommodate the various main political parties who helped elect him. has proved ineffective, with members constrained by party ties.

Political sources In Jakarta have said a "first minister" or virtual prime minister would be appointed to run cabinet meetings. which 60-year-old Wahid tn any case often leaves to Vice President Megawati Sukarnoputri.

But the figure most often mooted for the post, mines and energy minister Bambang Susilo Yudhonyono, Monday denied any knowledge of an impending promotion.