Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is expected to name his deputy after his 100th day in office or following the general election, said an Umno source today.

The source said the premier's first priority was to focus on his new job and prepare Umno - the dominant party in the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) - for the upcoming polls.

"After putting everything in place, only then he will think about naming his deputy," added the source, who declined to be named.

Abdullah's silence has caused much uneasiness in the party. Among the three party vice-presidents in the running, Defence Minister Najib Razak is the hot favourite.

Najib is also the choice of former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who retired on Oct 31 after 22 years at the helm.

While some have left it to the new premier to decide on his deputy as and when he feels, others claimed that his silence reflected his uncertainty of who should assume the No 2 post.

Supporters issue

Another party source said Abdullah was probably in the process of confirming that the undertaking by the three vice-presidents to accept whoever he chooses would be abided by their supporters.

"If it is not the case, Pak Lah's decision would not go down well with party members.

"For example, Najib can say one thing but can he pacify his supporters if Pak Lah opts for someone else?" he said.

The source said the frustrated supporters might vent their anger at the general election and this will be detrimental to Umno and the ruling front.

"I think this is what is worrying Pak Lah....that a leader may say he leaves it to Pak Lah to choose, but down there, his supporters are lobbying for him," he added.

Meanwhile, there is also talk that Abdullah does not favour the idea of appointing an acting Umno deputy president at the moment

"Such a move would bring more problems within Umno and this could jeopardise BN's chances in the coming general election .

"It is an accepted norm in Umno that nothing is conclusive when it comes to party matters...sooner or later someone will question the decision made by the party," said a political observer, who declined to be named.

As such, he said it was advisable for Abdullah to take his time to assess the current political environment in Umno before deciding on his deputy.