Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday it was too early to name a favoured candidate for the 2012 presidential election.

President Dmitry Medvedev had earlier promised a decision soon. But Putin said speculation over who would run in next March's election was disruptive.

"There is still one year before the election. And this fuss over the election does not help to organise routine work," Putin was quoted by news agencies as saying.

Both Medvedev and Putin, who say they work in a ruling 'tandem', have hinted that they may stand in 2012 polls.

But each has said they will decide together which of the two will run, depending on the situation in the country, while the elite anxiously await clues on the political future.

Medvedev, steered into the presidency by Putin in 2008, said in an interview with China's CCTV released on Tuesday that he would soon decide whether to seek re-election.

Most analysts expect the decision to come after the December 2011 parliamentary poll.

WRONG SIGNALS

Putin's comments may indicate that there could be differences between the two on when a decision should be announced. In public Putin has deferred to the president, technically a senior post to the prime minister.

However most Russians believe Putin still holds the real reins of power.

"Medvedev has prematurely given in to pressure from interest groups by promising the decision soon and will probably have to roll back on his promise after Putin's remarks," political analyst Pavel Salin said.

Related readings:  Putin says he may run for president in 2012  Putin stares down caged snow leopard  Moscow court hears defamation case vs Putin  Russia's Putin to seek solution to Belarus oil row

Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that he saw no differences between Medvedev and Putin on the issue of timing the announcement of their decsion.

Putin repeated on Wednesday that neither he nor Medvedev has ruled out running in the presidential election. Peskov added that neither were talking about a possibility that they will run against each other, still seen as a remote possibility.

"We will draw conclusions based on the situation before the election," Putin was quoted as saying.

Medvedev was in China on Wednesday for a summit of major emerging economies in the BRICS group.

"If we give wrong signals now half of the (Kremlin's) administration and half of the government will stop working in expectation of some changes," Putin said.

Igor Yurgens, head of the INSOR political think-tank and the most outspoken Medvedev loyalist, said the leaders risk losing political support and becoming lame ducks if they do not make up their minds soon.

Most political analysts say that Putin, who remains the most popular politician, will make the final decision, and that Medvedev has yet to convince him that he is able to run the country.