for a start, if youre using CGI, then you shouldnt be printing all that nasty HTML. Even tho' you've done well with the start of your script print $cgi->header() you should really continue the tradition.  print $cgi->start_html would be a start :-).

the method i use for doing something similar (but using html buttons) is by having a form for each button.

HTH
.R

updated to start_html (from begin_html) after coltsfoot's comment