The ongoing debate over weather or not US President Barrack Obama deserved the Nobel Peace Prize continued to intensify this week, with claims by a US and UK polling website the majority of those populations believed he did not deserve the coveted award.

PoliticsHome, the online news and opinion aggregator, revealed that only 39 percent of Americans polled said Obama deserves the award, compared to just 22 percent in the United Kingdom.

However support for Obama was quick to flood in this morning, with a host of world leaders and judges supporting the decision to go with the newly elected President.

In a rare show of support, four of the five jury members unanimously spoke out in defence of their decision, including committee chairman, Thorbjorn Jagland, who said Obama’s efforts to bridge the gap between poor and rich, and rid the world of war, had him well ahead on the peace ratings.

“All these things have contributed to, I wouldn’t say a safer world, but a world with less tension,” he said.

Nine-year Nobel committee veteran Inger-Marie Ytterhorn also spoke out in defence, saying the decision reiterates the foundations of the why the award was first created.

“Alfred Nobel wrote that the prize should go to the person who has contributed most to the development of peace in the previous year,” Jagland said.

“Who has done more for that than Barack Obama?”

Obama, who showed signs of embarrassment and surprise when he received the award, was still criticised by one judge, however, who claimed he “didn’t look particularly happy (at being named the Nobel Peace Prize laureate)”.

WHAT’S YOUR OPINION?

Did Obama deserve the Noble Peace Prize?

If not, who did?

What is the main reason for Obama winning the award?