Over 170 political parties are seeking official recognition from the Central Electoral Board (JCE). By the time elections roll around in May 2006, the total could be as high as 200, all of whom are seeking official recognition, and of course, official funds, to run in the municipal and congressional elections. The group includes all kinds of political, community and regional interests and the names vary from the traditional three letter abbreviations such as PRD or PLD or MPD or even the four-letter PRSC, to such names as PIDO (I’m asking), or El MORO (The food) and MORENA (The dark-skinned girl). Some might say that this country produces more political parties and Major League ball players than anyone else. These various groups are known as the “slogan parties” that get very few votes and have very little chance of ever electing a municipal or Congressional figure. However, they do manage to get a piece of the financial pie if they are officially recognized as a political entity. During the 2002 election process some of these parties received just a few hundred votes: PUN got 296; APD got 205; MCI (not the corporation!) received 116; and PPC got only 94 votes across the entire country. In spite of all this, these parties still manage to get their two cents worth in decisions involving nominations for government ministers, directors of governmental departments, consulates and embassies. In 1962, eight parties went to the polls, compared to the last presidential election, when there were 23 parties vying for the top post. The reason is obvious. In 2004, the tiny – most people would say miniscule – APD group allied itself with the PLD to promote the Fernandez bid for the presidency. As a result of obtaining 84,566 votes, the party received RD$592.032.56. The BIS (Social Democrat Institutional Bloc) received RD$5.0 million and such nonentities as the PHD (seriously), PLRD, PPC, ASD, and MIYA each received over half a million pesos.