handpick

ベネズエラの大統領選でニコラス・マドゥロ氏が勝利しましたが、エンリケ・カプリレス氏が投票に不正があったとして票の数え直しを要求しました。

Chavez's political heir declared winner; opponent demands recount
(CNN) -- Hugo Chavez's handpicked successor won a narrow victory in Venezuela's presidential vote, but his opponent slammed the results as illegitimate and demanded a recount.

Nicolas Maduro secured 50.7% of votes in Sunday's poll while opposition candidate Henrique Capriles Radonski won 49.1%, Venezuela's National Electoral Council said.

The council's top official, Tibisay Lucena, called the results "irreversible."

An hour later, Capriles vowed to contest them.

"I want to tell the candidate of the government: today you're the loser and I'm telling you this unequivocally. You are the loser, you and your government," he said early Monday.

Maduro calls for peace, welcomes recount
Did Maduro win fair and square? "I say that unequivocally and with all commitment and transparency. We will not recognize any results until each vote of the Venezuelan people has been counted."
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/04/15/world/americas/venezuela-elections/index.html?hpt=wo_c1

handpickは単純に「手で摘む」という意味以外に「…を厳選[精選]する」という意味もあります。（『ジーニアス英和辞典　第４版』大修館）また、ODOを見てみると"[with object] (usually as adjective hand-picked)
select carefully with a particular purpose in mind"とあり、普通は形容詞で使われ、「何か特別な目的によって厳選する（された）」「自ら選ぶ」というニュアンスが含まれるそうです。

勝利宣言をしたマドゥロ氏、選挙不正を訴えているカプリレス氏、どちらが真実を主張しているのでしょうか。(Hatahata)