1.   Declining living standards and rising prices are making the poor poorer and forcing many elderly, unable to make ends meet on their meagre pensions, to barter medication.

2.   The results confirmed expectations that the Communists would capitalise on discontent among the elderly over meagre pensions and among state workers over months of unpaid salaries.

3.   Most residents are elderly, have no dependents and must fend for themselves from meagre pensions provided by Taipei.

4.   Meagre pensions and delayed wage payments, with backlogs often running into several months, have caused widespread discontent.

5.   Millions of impoverished Russian pensioners are forced to work to supplement their meagre state pensions, which are often delayed.

6.   The early results confirmed expectations that the Communists would capitalise on discontent among the elderly over meagre pensions and among state workers over months of unpaid salaries.