Donald Trump nominated for Nobel Peace Prize – again

Norwegian MPs put forward the US president
for his efforts to denuclearise North Korea

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Christian Tybring-Gjedde and Per-Willy Amundsen,
both members of the country’s anti-immigration Progress
Party, said Trump should win the 2019 award because of his
efforts to secure the nuclear disarmament of North Korea, according
to NRK, Norway’s state broadcaster.

The pair said Trump “had taken a huge and important step in the
direction of the disarmament, peace and reconciliation between
North and South Korea”.

The nomination raised eyebrows as although Trump and North
Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a joint statement that establishes
the intention to work towards peace between the two countries,
“there is little concrete evidence that the document will lead to
complete denuclearisation in the near future”, says Vox.

However, Amundsen told NRK, “a process is underway to
ensure world peace in the future. It’s a fragile process, but we
must of course do what we can to help this process yield good
results. I believe we can accomplish this by sending a clear
signal, namely by awarding Trump the Nobel Peace Prize”.

A group of US Republican politicians also “nominated Trump for
the prize in May”, reports Sky News. The
broadcaster suggests that Trump could count on support
from Boris Johnson, who said in May that Trump deserved to be in
the running for the honour.

“If he can fix North Korea, and he can fix the Iran nuclear
deal,” Johnson said, “then I don’t see why he’s any less of a
candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize than Barack Obama, who got it
before he even did anything.”

Former president Barack Obama won the award in 2009 after less
than nine months in office.

The prize is one of the world’s most prestigious and is awarded
each year by the foundation to the person who “shall have done the
most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the
abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and
promotion of peace congresses”, according to the will of Alfred Nobel,
which established the committee.

A record 330 people were nominated for the 2018 award.