The president of the Central Electoral Board (JCE), Manuel Ramon Morel Cerda, detached the JCE from the disposal of hundreds of cedulas, the Dominican ID and voter registration card. Scavengers at the Duquesa garbage dump found nearly a dozen bags of discarded cedulas and began a spree of illegal sales. Reporters were shown hundreds of these ID cards, probably only a few of those discarded. In bad humor, Morel Cerda, the embattled head of the Central Electoral Board (JCE), told reporters that this in no way tarnishes the image of the Electoral Board. Apparently, those who purchased the illicit cards will not be able to use them to vote, however the cards do serve as a formally recognized proof of identity in the Dominican Republic and could be used in identity theft.
