Russia's Central Electoral Commission yesterday rejected an application by a candidate calling for peace to stand in next year's presidential elections.

The commission cited "mistakes in documents" submitted by Yekaterina Duntsova, a former journalist and city councillor campaigning "for peace and democratic processes", Russian television reported.

The commission's chief, Ella Pamfilova, said the members unanimously rejected Duntsova's bid to stand in polls that President Vladimir Putin is expected to win comfortably.

Pamfilova told her: "You are a young woman, you have everything ahead of you."

Duntsova, 40, had filed documents to stand in the March race as an independent candidate. She was required to provide documents proving that a group of at least 500 people had held a meeting backing her.

She wrote on social media that she would file an appeal against the ruling with the Supreme Court.