Despite the negative press targeting U.S. President Bill Clinton recently, he was nominated for the honorable Nobel Peace Prize award last week.

USA Today reported members of the right-wing Party of Progress nominated Clinton for his efforts to protect world peace and promote democracy.

“Throughout his presidency, he has been a guarantor and friend of peace,” lawmakers said in a nomination announcement.

Traditionally, the Oslo-based committee refuses to release the 120 to 130 names of nominees or comment on the candidates.

But various organizations that submit nominations often announce the name of their candidate. Nominations for the award closed Jan. 31.

Last year’s Nobel Peace Prize was shared by the International Campaign to Ban Landmines and American Jody Williams, for her work on the elimination of anti-personal mines.

Other past recipients of the award include the Dalai Lama in 1989, Yasser Arafat in 1993 and Nelson Mandela in 1994.

The awards are presented on Dec. 10, the anniversary of the death of Alfred Nobel, the prize’s namesake.

Nobel was an inventor, chemist, engineer and humanitarian. He is renowned for inventing dynamite in 1867 by mixing volatile nitroglycerin with silica.

According to the Nobel Foundation, Nobel surprised family and friends when they learned of how he wished to distribute his wealth.

“The capital [of his investments] shall be invested in safe securities by [his] executors, shall constitute a fund, the interest of which shall be annually distributed in the form of prizes to those who, during the preceding year, shall have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind,” his will stated.