Taipei, March 6 (CNA) Former Premier Tang Fei urged voters to boycott two referendums to be held alongside the March 22 presidential election and blasted President Chen Shui-bian on various issues Thursday.
"Boycotting is not a good way, but it is the only way now," Tang claimed, adding that both referendums, which were submitted by the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT), threaten cross-Taiwan Strait stability.
Tang, the first premier appointed by the Chen administration in 2000, proposed that the referendums be postponed for six months but admitted that this might be too late to do with 16 days to go before the election.
China, the United Kingdom, the United States and Japan have all expressed opposition to the referendums, which will ask voters whether Taiwan should join the United Nations under the name Taiwan or rejoin the U.N. under the name Republic of China or some other suitable title.
The referendums should not be held before thorough discussions among citizens, 74-year-old Tang said, adding his opinion that a referendum should not be a tool for political mobilization.
Tang, who served as premier from May to October, 2000, also blasted his former boss.
Ridiculing Chen's comment in a media interview in which he said Taiwan's constitution is "a mess," Tang questioned why Chen has not tried to amend the constitution for the past seven years.
Tang also claimed that Chen "had disrupted military tradition by promoting military officials according to his own will."
A former air force general, defense minister and KMT member, Tang founded Taiwan Vision Forum and Association last September. He submitted 12 questions titled "Twelve Unavoidable Questions for Taiwan's New President, " to both presidential candidates -- the opposition Kuomintang's Ma Ying-jeou and the Democratic Progressive Party's Frank Hsieh -- at a press conference.
His questions range from cross-strait relations, the economy, education and culture, to environmental protection, and were aimed at "moving the election from mudslinging to meaningful discussion."