199 up for Nobel Peace Prize
2005-02-24 21:57
Oslo - A record 199 nominations were received for this year's Nobel Peace Prize - a deeply secret list believed to range from former US secretary of state Colin Powell to U2 frontman Bono.
The Norwegian awards committee's secretary, Geir Lundestad, said the final count, completed on Thursday, included 163 individuals and 36 organisations.
The winner will be announced in mid-October.
"This is an increase that shows the continued strong interest in the prize," Lundestad said.
He also said there was a broad geographical distribution of nominations.
Last year, Kenyan environmental activist Wangari Maathai won the prize. She was among 194 nominees, the previous record.
Norwegian media said the list was also believed to include Pope John Paul II, the Salvation Army, Indian sitar player Ravi Shankar and former Czech President Vaclav Havel.
Although at least one US congressman with nomination rights has said President George W Bush deserved the prize for the Sudan peace effort, it was not clear whether the American leader had been nominated.
The awards committee, which is appointed by but does not answer to parliament, has already pared down the names to an initial short-list, which is also kept secret.
The award, which includes a check for 10 million Swedish kronor ($1.6m), is always presented on December 10, the anniversary of the death of its founder, Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel.
- AP