Armando Siahaan – The Islamic-based Prosperous Justice Party's national congress ended Sunday with a big push toward pluralism and a goal of becoming the third-largest party in the country by 2014, but analysts are doubtful.

Luthfi Hasan Ishaaq, who was inducted as the party's president after serving as acting head since October, said that a new policy of accepting non-Muslims would broaden the party's base.

Looking down his nose at the fuzzy warmth coming from former Islamist firebrands, Burhanuddin Muhtadi, an analyst from the Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI), said: "The change [toward a moderate party] is merely political marketing, nothing more than that."

As part of its new branding, the party, known as the PKS, also said it was ready for dialogue with the West.

The congress at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Mega Kuningan, South Jakarta, even hosted a seminar on the US view of Islam, with Ambassador Cameron Hume as the key speaker.

Hilmi Aminuddin, the chairman of the PKS consultative body, or Shura Council, said he was aware that engaging the US may seem at odds with the party's support for the Palestinian cause. But he said that the plight of the Palestinians is a "is a universal problem" that transcends religion.

The PKS is not just opening a dialogue with the US, Hilmi said, noting that the party has also built a strong relationship with the Australian Labor Party, the Chinese Communist Party and a number of European parties. "This is evidence that the PKS is seeking to enter the world's mainstream," Hilmi said.

Mustafa Kamal, the party's leader in the House of Representatives, said the PKS was talking to US representatives but also reserved the option to criticize Washington.

"That is our democratic right," he said. Given that the PKS is part of the Democrats' ruling coalition led by a president wanting to build a "strategic partnership" with the US, the party seems to have its eye on 2014 and a desire to wield greater political influence by becoming more moderate.

During the congress's opening ceremony, Luthfi declared that the party's goal was to become one of the nation's top three parties.

"That means one of [the leading parties] must be eliminated," he said, referring to the Democratic Party, Golkar and Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).

Party secretary general Anis Matta said the party also aimed to reach two million members by 2014, almost triple the current 700,000.

Hilmi said the party was sincere and denied that the moderate turn was a political tactic. "Becoming an inclusive and moderate party is not a strategy, it's an implementation of Islamic teaching," he said.

Distancing himself from the party's fervent roots as an fundamentalist religious movement, Hilmi said the Koran dictated that Muslims must be pluralistic. Exclusivity does not reflect Islamic values, he added.

Hilmi, however, acknowledged that the PKS in its earlier years branded itself as strictly Islamic to "build identity and integrity."

Fahri Hamzah, a PKS lawmaker, said the inclusion policy was a sign of political maturity and the desire of the PKS to channel public aspirations and eventually govern the country.

Secretary general Anis said opening the door for non-Muslims was not entirely new, as the party already had non-Muslim supporters from Eastern Indonesia – with 20 of them serving in regional legislatures.

Hilmi also denied that the PKS was attempting to Islamicize its non-Muslim cadres, saying they are expected to follow the party's agenda, not religious values.

For 2014, lawmaker Mahfudz Siddiq said the party would also expand its base among young people, because new voters would be a massive source of votes. The party also wants to focus on grabbing votes outside its traditional base in urban Java.

Political analyst Yunarto Wijaya argued that the PKS's friendlier stance was a consequence of the steadily declining popularity of Islamic parties as voters seek substance over ideology.

The opening to secular and non-Muslim supporters could backfire, Yunarto said, if the traditional base of activists and voters seeking a strong Islamic voice leave the suddenly moderate party.

The LSI's Burhanuddin was deeply skeptical that the PKS could be a top party. Using the 2009 election result as a reference, he said that in order for the PKS to edge out No. 3, PDI-P, "they have to double their current numbers." In 2009, the PKS aimed for 20 percent of the vote but only received 7.8 percent. PDI-P had about 15 percent.

Burhanuddin said despite the moderate direction, it is unlikely that non-Muslims would support the PKS. "Because their [party] programs are still associated with an Islamization agenda." He cited statements by Information Minister Tifatul Sembiring as examples.

Tifatul, the party's former president, recently made a statement on Twitter that the sex videos allegedly involving rock singer Nazril "Ariel" Irham, TV personalities Luna Maya and Cut Tari were related to the differing ways that Islam and Christianity see Christ's crucifixion.

The comment unleashed a wave of criticism, with some calling him insensitive to other faiths. Tifatul apologized for the remark.

Last week, Tifatul was also criticized for saying increased access to pornography had caused a rise in HIV infections. Last year, he received a barrage of criticism for saying that the nation was suffering natural disasters as punishment for rampant immorality.

"These incidents show that the PKS will still be seen by non-Muslims as a party that spreads orthodox, Islamic values," Burhanuddin said.

The PKS still has trouble penetrating even the mainstream Muslim audience, as it has on-going differences with the country's largest Islamic organizations, Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah, Burhanuddin said.

Noting the distance between big goals and reality, Hilmi said during the congress, "PKS likes to have big dreams, which can come true in stages."