Gordon Brown called for a global arms embargo on Zimbabwe today, saying that Robert Mugabe's failure to release the result of elections last month was "completely unacceptable".

The Prime Minister told MPs that Britain would promote an embargo after revelations that a Chinese cargo ship was trying to ferry a shipment of small arms to the landlocked southern African country.

Asked at question time to send a clear message to Mr Mugabe, Mr Brown replied: "A message should be sent from the whole of the UK that what is happening in Zimbabwe, failing to announce an election result, trying to rig an election result, is completely unacceptable.

“I call on the whole world to express its view that this is completely unacceptable to the whole of the international community."

He added: "Because of what has happened in South Africa, where there is an arms shipment trying to get to Zimbabwe, we will promote proposals for an embargo on all arms to Zimbabwe.

“At the same time we ask all the African Union observers and the international observers to make their views known about the unfairness of this election."

The ship, the An Yue Jiang, was carrying three million rounds of assault rifle ammunition, 3,000 mortar rounds and 1,500 rocket-propelled grenades, according to its inventory published by a South African newspaper.

The ship was forced to abandon plans to offload the arms in Durban after activists won a court case which prevented it from transporting the load overland to the border with landlocked Zimbabwe.

Mr Brown's comments echoed those earlier this week of David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, who accused Mr Mugabe of trying to steal the Zimbabwean election and “beating to death” his own people in a desperate attempt to stay in power.

Britain imposed an arms embargo on Zimbabwe in 2000 in protest at political violence in the country. The European Union followed suit in 2002.

Earlier today, a Zimbabwean state newspaper called today for a transitional government of national unity under Mr Mugabe.

In an editorial, The Herald said that a transitional government should seek the help of the South African Development Community (SADC) to write a new constitution adopted after a national referendum, and to organise new elections.

"It stands to reason that, the transitional government of national unity, negotiated by the two leading contending parties, under the mediation of SADC, supported by the international community, should be led by the incumbent President," it said.

The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has already rejected suggestions of a second-round of voting because it claims that its leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, won the March 29 presidential contest.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has yet to release any results from the presidential election, and is engaged in a recount after announcing that the MDC had dislodged Zanu (PF) from power in a parallel parliamentary vote.

The first result from that recount was announced today with the confirmation of a Zanu (PF) victory in the constituency of Goromonzi West constituency, a rural district near the capital.

The Electoral Commission is recounting the results from 23 constituencies, only two of which were won by Zanu (PF). Given that the MDC won 109 seats against 97 for Zanu (PF), the commission only has to reallocate seven of the seats to change the result of the election.

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