Foreign observers have hailed Malawi's presidential and parliamentary elections held Tuesday, but have fallen short of declaring them free and fair as results continue to trickle in from various parts of the country.

The observers have, however, said the elections were held in a transparent manner and hailed voter turn out, which they have since described as pace-setting for other African countries.

In announcements released this morning, regional and international observers to Malawi's May19 elections indicate that the electoral process was not marred by many challenges, and have refused to describe challenges that threatened to affect the process as 'irregularities' because, they say, the Electoral Commission was able to resolve all of them albeit belatedly at times.

Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) head of election observer team, Otema Musuka, said his mission was convinced that voters expresses their political will without intimidation and hailed the EC for for handling the elections "successfully".

Musuka's sentiments were echoed, at a separate event, by Electoral Institute of Southern Africa (EISA) mission leader, Denis Kadima, who commended Malawian voters for turning up in huge numbers. He said the elections were held under accepted international standards.

Kadima, however, bemoaned state media monopoly by ruling parties adding that, much as that may not have impaired voters judgement in making informed choices, there was need to ensure equitable political party access to the same.

The European Union Observer Mission is yet to make a statement and present their assessment of the polls, but political analysts in Malawi have largely hailed the polls as a true reflection of voters' will.