A number of prominent Canadian Progressive Conservatives have loaned their names to the merger agreement between their party and the Canadian Alliance.

Some of the names appearing in a full-page ad, which ran in Saturday's Globe and Mail newspaper, include former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and the four of five provincial Tory Premiers.

Former Ontario premier Ernie Eves is also one of the signatories, as is Bill Davis. Mike Harris, another former Ontario premier, is considered to be a possible contender for the leadership of the new party.

The only Tory government head not lending his name to the ad is Danny Williams, the premier-designate of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Former prime minister Kim Campbell, who led the party to a disastrous defeat at the end of the Mulroney era in 1993, didn't sign the ad.

Former PM Joe Clark has spoken against the deal. David Orchard, who threw his support to current leader Peter MacKay on the basis that no merger take place with the Alliance, has vowed to kill it.

The Canadian Alliance and the Tories must approve the merger by Dec. 12. But not everyone is buying into the deal and Tory leader Peter MacKay has had a rough ride over the last week.

MacKay was confronted by angry protesters when he stopped in Toronto to promote his vision of a united right and the "new blue."

Earlier this year, MacKay won the Tory leadership on the fourth ballot after Orchard agreed to support him in exchange for an agreement there would be no merger talks.

Some party members have called MacKay a "traitor" and a "liar" for changing his position. MacKay has defended himself by saying the decision stands larger than any one party or individual.

Last weekend, the party's 37-member management committee agreed that delegates from 20 regional hubs will vote on the proposed merger by telephone on December 6.

A two-thirds majority will be needed to ratify the union with the Alliance, disband the existing PC party and create a new Conservative Party of Canada.

The Conservative "Yes" Committee was formed to organize each federal riding in an effort to sell new party memberships and urge pro-merger delegates to vote.

Some party members opposed to the merger have threatened to sue. Orchard is one of those fighting to see the Progressive Conservative Party remains intact.