Anita Rachman & Vento Saudale – The Indonesian Ombudsman said on Sunday that it would report the mayor of Bogor to the president for his continued refusal to reopen a church in direct violation of a Supreme Court ruling.

Budi Santoso, a member of the ombudsman commission, said he hoped that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, once officially notified of Mayor Diani Budiarto's flouting of the court ruling, would bring his authority to bear in the case.

"If possible, [we hope he] instructs the mayor to obey the ruling and our recommendation," he said.

The ombudsman's ultimatum comes at the end of a 60-day period given to Diani to comply with the ruling. The Bogor administration had issued a building permit for GKI Yasmin in 2006, but revoked it two years later, alleging that the church had falsified the signatures required to obtain it.

The Supreme Court ruled in December that the closure was unlawful and ordered its reopening, but the city government has ignored the ruling. The mayor has used several excuses to keep the church closed, most recently saying there should not be a church on a street with an Islamic name. Church members have been forced to hold services on the sidewalk.

Danang Girindrawardana, the head of the ombudsman commission, said the mayor had also lied about attempting to mediate with the church congregation. Checks discovered that such a attempts had never been made, Danang said.

"The mayor lied. He has lied about too many things, including that people living near the GKI Yasmin church have rejected it," he said.

The mediation claim, included in the local administration's response to the ultimatum, was made in a letter dated Aug. 24 but received by the ombudsman on Sept. 13. The ombudsman is not obligated to answer the letter.

Bona Sigalingging, a spokesman for the GKI Yasmin church, said the congregation would discuss its next move after the deadline with interreligious groups in the area.

"We've been working together with these groups all along, so we'll keep working with them," he said on the sidewalk outside the sealed-off building, where the congregation holds Sunday services.

He added that he hoped Diani's office would make an offer to meet with the congregation to resolve the issue. "Hopefully as soon as possible, maybe within the next week," Bona said.

Under the 2008 Ombudsman Law, the Indonesian Ombudsman can report state agencies that fail to implement its recommendations to the president or the House of Representatives. Obstructing investigations by the ombudsman is a crime that carries a punishment of up to two years in jail.