PORT LOUIS, Mauritius, Dec. 10 -- About 1 million Mauritians go to the polls on Wednesday for general elections whose results could bring major political changes in the island country.

About 2,000 polling stations opened at 7 a.m. (0300 GMT) and will close at 6 p.m. (1400 GMT). The results are expected by Thursday afternoon.

Two rival political coalitions are vying for 62 seats in Parliament in one of the tightest parliamentary elections since 1976, with Constitutional reform as the biggest issue.

A coalition of Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam's Labour Party and the former opposition Mouvement Militant Mauricien (MMM) has agreed to launch constitutional reform so that the president will be directly elected with more powers.

Currently the president is a largely ceremonial position and is elected by Parliament.

Under the proposed changes, Ramgoolam is expected to run for president and Paul Berenger, leader of the MMM, will become prime minister.

But the Labour-MMM coalition faces strong challenge from a coalition known as l'Alliance Lepep, led by former President Anerood Jugnauth, who has warned that the proposed constitutional reform would be a disaster for the country.