Imanuddin Razak, Jakarta – Theoretically – and supposedly practically – it is only a matter of simple data collection and management. In an era of computerization and data collection, the management of the country's population, i.e. the number of Indonesians eligible to cast their votes in the general election, should only be a matter of clicking the "update" button.

But the alleged mismanagement of the final voters' list (DPT) has apparently become an acute problem in the organization of the five-yearly political event. Complaints, particularly from the opposition parties, have become a common phenomenon from one general election to another. And this year's election is no exception.

The problem, according to some analysts, apparently rests on the choice of the population database used by the General Elections Commission (KPU) in the organization of the election. In contrast to many countries abroad, where population databases are provided by their statistical agencies, the Indonesian general election is organized based upon population data provided by the country's Home Ministry.

Election watchdog the Association for Elections and Democracy (Perludem) chairman, Didik Supriyanto, estimated a discrepancy of some 17 million people as a result of the use of a database provided by the Home Ministry, known as the DPT. KPU commissioner Ferry Kurnia Rizkiyansyah, however, said only 3.3 million remained disputed from the previous 10.4 million.

There has been no complete explanation for the huge number of voters in dispute. Media outlets, however, have reported cases of alleged mismanagement of data in some regions, particularly in regard to the online e-KTP introduction, the electronic ID cards processing system nationwide. Many residents in the regions have complained of the "slow" ID system and although the system bears the name e-KTP they have continued to be provided with the "old ID cards" that are manually processed.

Such data discrepancy is apparently a loophole in the organization of the general election, which according to analysts and party activists is prone to manipulation. The 2014 general election is the fourth election held in the wake of reformasi in 1998. The spirit of reform that has been the driver for the implementation of direct election system in the country should also include simplification of the database used in the general election system.

Legislative election facts box:

• 12 national political parties + 3 local Aceh political parties
• 77 electoral districts four DPR membership
• 560 available DPR seats
• 6,607 legislative candidates for DPR seats
• 77 available DPD seats
• 497 candidates for DPD seats
• 2,137 seats in the country's 33 Provincial Legislative Councils (DPRD I)
• 17,560 seats in the country's 497 Regional and Municipal Legislative Councils (DPRD II).
• 545,647 polling stations
• 186,569,233 registered voters