MOSCOW. Jan 24 (Interfax) - Public figures confirmed on Thursday that a liberal movement is being organized in Russia that would include opposition politicians and rights activists.

"At present a process is under way that involves consultations and the harmonization of positions. But I do confirm that such a movement is being set up," Lev Ponomaryov, leader of the For Human Rights group and a veteran Russian human rights activist, told Interfax.

"It's too early to speak of any details," he said. "But I can say that it will be a liberal democratic movement with regional branches."

The head of the Moscow Helsinki Group, Lyudmila Alexeyeva, said: "As far as I know, the politicians who will join (the movement) include Vladimir Ryzhkov, Boris Nemtsov and Garry Kasparov and the human rights activists include Lev Ponomaryov. It is their idea to build an extensive democratic movement."

She would not join the movement, Alexeyeva said.

Sergei Mitrokhin, deputy leader of Yabloko, one of Russia's key liberal parties, poured cold water on the project.

He mentioned the "Ockham's razor" principle, attributed to 14th- century English logician and Franciscan friar William of Ockham: entities should not be multiplied beyond necessity.

"A democratic movement has existed in our country for a long time, since 1965 at the latest," he said.

"The reason for the weakness of the democratic movement is not that there exist several democratic associations but that they are detached from civil society and the true interests of mass groups of the population," Mitrokhin said.