Brown calls for Zimbabwe arms embargo

Britain will propose a total arms embargo for Zimbabwe, Gordon Brown said today.

The prime minister's comments came as he denounced Robert Mugabe's attempts to steal last month's presidential election.

They followed successful western pressure on southern African states and China to block a Chinese-owned ship carrying weapons for the Mugabe government from docking in the region.

"Trying to rig an election result is unacceptable," Brown told parliament. "We will propose an embargo for all arms to Zimbabwe."

Discussions are already under way between Britain, the US and southern African states on the success of the impromptu measures that stopped the Chinese ship, the An Yue Jiang, from unloading its cargo.

In Zimbabwe, an academic loyal to Mugabe floated the idea of a government of national unity including the opposition but led by the president.

In an opinion piece written for the website of the state-run Herald newspaper, Obediah Mukura Mazombwe wrote that countries in the region should mediate negotiations for a transitional government.

The government, encompassing the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, would organise new elections.

The Herald is regarded as a mouthpiece for the ruling Zanu-PF party, and the article reflects the thinking of its more moderate elements.

Mazombwe said political tensions made it impossible to hold a run-off vote.

Human rights groups and the MDC claim Zanu-PF is conducting a systematic campaign of intimidation to cow opposition supporters ahead of an anticipated presidential run-off.

Independent observers believe the MDC leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, won the presidential ballot on March 29, but no one knows the exact tally because Zimbabwe's electoral commission has still not released the results.

Zanu-PF initially admitted losing control of parliament, but a current recount of key constituencies may allow it to reclaim control of the legislature.

The Herald's website reported that the ruling party had won the first of 23 constituency recounts, saying it had retained the seat of Goromonzi West.

The MDC – which opposed the recounts - won all but one of the 23 parliamentary seats being recounted.

Amid the latest political manoeuvring in Zimbabwe, the leader of South Africa's ruling party condemned the violence and called for the quick release of election results.

However, Jacob Zuma, who is visiting London, refused to lay any blame for the crisis on Mugabe.

Zuma, who has called for an African mission to help solve Zimbabwe's election impasse, also rejected criticism of the South African president, Thabo Mbeki.

Mbeki has come under fire for not confronting Mugabe on his desire to cling on to power despite his apparent rebuff at the polls.

In a BBC interview, Zuma insisted Mbeki's "quiet diplomacy" had done more to help the situation than western sanctions.

"We are doing something more than anybody else in reality," he said. "Other people are doing absolutely nothing."

Zuma may have reined in his criticisms of Mugabe because he was speaking in Britain, Zimbabwe's former colonial ruler.