Nobel Prize 2018 Controversies: US President Donald Trump Nominated for Peace, Prize for Literature Postponed

In an interesting development, The United States President Donald Trump has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize his efforts to solve the North Korean nuclear tensions. According to a report published in The Telegraph, A group of 18 of Trump's biggest Republican supporters in the House of Representatives sent a letter to the Norwegian Nobel Committee urging it to consider Trump for next year's award in recognition of ‘his tireless work to bring peace to our world’.

Trump and North Korean President Kim Jong Un could meet by the end of May or June. The meeting will focus on convincing the Korean dictator to disarm the nuclear-weapons. South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Monday stirred a debate by referring Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. “It’s really President Trump who should receive it; we can just take peace,” Huffpost reported, citing a statement of Moon’s office. Moon met Kin-Jong at Demilitarised Zone between the two countries. This was the first time in history a North Korean leader stepped into the South’s territory.

Many times before Trump and Kim Jong were seen threatening each other of military aggression. In the past, The US President had referred Kim Jong as “depraved” and a “menace that threatens our world.” A few months earlier, he taunted Pyongyang, saying his own “nuclear button” was ‘much bigger and more powerful’ than Kim’s. He also threatened last year to ‘totally destroy’ North Korea.

These comments made by Trump makes this decision to nominate him for a peace price sounds absurd. The Nobel Committee accepts nominations for the year’s prize Until Feb 1, and most of the names submitted after that point are considered for the next calendar year.

In another controversy, The Nobel Prize in literature has been postponed to next year because of sexual-abuse charges and financial crime scandals that have affected the public image of the Swedish Academy that selects the winner. The decision was made at a weekly meeting in Stockholm on Thursday.

Anders Olsson, the academy's permanent secretary, said in a statement, “We find it necessary to commit time to recovering public confidence in the academy before the next laureate can be announced,” reported CNN. Olsson further added, “out of respect for previous and future literature laureates, the Nobel Foundation and the general public."

It will be the first time since World War II that the prestigious award is not handed out. The controversy erupted because of a string of allegations against Jean-Claude Arnault, a major cultural figure in Sweden who is also the husband of poet Katarina Frostenson, an academy member. The academy later admitted in a report that ‘unacceptable behaviour in the form of unwanted intimacy’ took place.

Nobel prizes were not awarded during the World War II for two years from 1940-42. On seven occasions the Nobel literature prize has not been given because then academy did not consider any candidate worthy of the award.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 04, 2018 02:56 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).