Clinton, Kohl, EU among candidates for Nobel Peace Prize

20100211 (Photo credit: XWL)

By Pierre-Henry Deshayes

OSLO: A total of 231 nominees are up for the Nobel Peace Prize this year, the Nobel Institute said Monday, with Bill Clinton, Helmut Kohl, the EU and WikiLeaks suspect Bradley Manning known to be on the list.

“As always, there are the usual ‘nominees’ and some newcomers, some famous and some unknowns, hailing from the four corners of the world,” the head of the Nobel Institute, Geir Lundestad, told AFP.

With 188 individuals and 43 organizations, the number of candidates comes close to last year’s record of 241, when the prestigious award went to Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Liberian activist Leymah Gbowee and Yemeni Arab Spring activist Tawakkol Karman.

The winner or winners will be announced in October.

The prize generates a media frenzy every year and occasionally sparks controversy – as in 2009 when U.S. President Barack Obama was honored just a few months after taking office.