Armando Siahaan – High-ranking members of the country's three largest political parties on Monday said they were not threatened by the Prosperous Justice Party's declared ambition to finish among the top three in 2014 elections.

The Islamic-based party, known as the PKS, said during its second national caucus, which ended on Sunday, that its two main goals were to become an inclusive and pluralist party and to finish in the top three in the next national elections.

Achmad Mubarok, deputy secretary general of the Democratic Party, which won the most seats in the last election, said: "We respect their target, but we do not feel threatened. Golkar has also stated that it wanted to pass [the Democrats]."

Mubarok said the PKS had reached a plateau: In 2009, despite gaining more seats in the House of Representatives, the number of votes it received actually decreased. In the upcoming election, the battle will still be among the Democrats, Golkar and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the top finishers in 2009, he said.

Similarly, PDI-P secretary general Tjahjo Kumolo said his party, which came third in the 2009 elections, was not troubled by the PKS's ambition. "PDI-P has its own commitment, political line, ideology and strategy," he said, implying that PKS's new direction did not affect the PDI-P's stance in the upcoming election.

Priyo Budi Santoso, House deputy speaker from Golkar, said that although he appreciated PKS's goal of getting into the top three, "I predict that PKS's new direction will disappoint the conservative voters and they will move their votes to other Islamic parties such as PPP and PKB," referring to the United Development Party (PPP) and the National Awakening Party (PKB).

As the PKS is known for its religious values, a switch to being a moderate Islamic party could be perceived by its traditional members as entering nationalist territory and no longer accommodating Islamic aspirations, he said.

Mubarok agreed that the PKS's new direction could hurt the party, currently the largest Islamic party in the country, as it has been known as conservative and traditionalist.

"PKS is very charismatic as an exclusive party, and many of its supporters are considerable fanatics," he said. "If they open themselves up as an inclusive party, they will become just another nationalist party. The PKS's fanatic members will leave."

Romy Romahurmuzy, the deputy secretary general of the PPP, said the PKS's new orientation did not guarantee an ability to grab non-Muslim members, but would certainly lose it support from Islamic members.

Mubarok said that from the perspective of the coalition, the Democrats welcomed the PKS's decision to become a moderate party. "It would strengthen the coalition as centered, moderate and nationalist."