The Kyrgyz opposition groups Ata-Jurt and the People\'s Movement of Kyrgyzstan signed a partnership agreement on 16 December unifying their positions on basic political issues, RFE/RL\'s Kyrgyz Service reported. The two movements will pursue a coordinated policy in the lead-up to February parliamentary elections in the hope of garnering a majority. The organizations share common positions on the privatization of strategic economic sectors, issues of rights and freedoms, and the country\'s future course of development. In an interview with Kyrgyzinfo on 16 December, Roza Otunbaeva, the co-chairperson of Ata-Jurt, noted that the political situation in Kyrgyzstan cannot be compared to Georgia, where dissatisfaction over falsified elections felled former President Eduard Shevardnadze in 2003. \"The main thing is to conduct honest elections, and people will respond appropriately.\" Nine political parties formed the People\'s Movement of Kyrgyzstan in early fall; Ata-Jurt emerged recently. (RFE/RL)