"The FMLN has to think about who is the best candidate that can win, because to rule, first we must win, and it is pointless to have good intentions for governing if you do not have a winning candidate. That's what happened with me, the FMLN came having an electoral ceiling of 850,000 votes; when I participated as a candidate, we won with 1,350,000 votes. So the candidate that the FMLN should think about is one that makes you go beyond the FMLN's historic vote and to add at least half a million votes more" he said.
"If they had not taken me as a candidate, the FMLN would never have come to power, to the Executive, and in the Executive it now has a good number of ministers. These ministers would not be, even the Vice Minister of Education would not be, or aspire to be a presidential candidate, if I had not won. Then I do not see in what sense they were wrong with my selection" said Funes.The FMLN leadership wants to go with its own candidate in 2014 because they probably don't see things the way that Funes does. They would say that Funes won because of his support from the FMLN. I'm, obviously, of the opinion that they both needed each other in 2009.
But I also understand that the FMLN hasn't been all that happy with its relationship with President Funes. That has to make them think twice about entering into another alliance with an outsider in 2014 even if it gives them a stronger chance at victory. While Oscar Ortiz is not an outsider from the party per se, he is an outsider in the sense that he is more moderate than the FMLN leadership and he hasn't been someone that they can control.
