The supreme leader of Iran, Sayeed Ali Khamenei, cast his vote in the first moments after the commencement of casting ballots for the 11th Islamic Consultative Assembly and the 1st midterm elections for the 5th Assembly of Experts.

"Anyone who is interested in national interests should take part in the election. The election is a day of fulfillment of the nations' civil rights," Khamenei said on Friday after voting for the parliamentary and the mid-term election for the Assembly of Experts in Iran

The election for parliament members is being held nationwide while the mid-term Assembly of Experts election takes place in only five provinces of Tehran, North Khorasan, Khorasan Razavi, Qom and Fars.

Iranian people will elect 290 lawmakers and seven members of the Assembly of Experts by their votes.

The Zoroastrians and Jews will each elect one representative; Assyrian and Chaldean Christians will jointly elect one representative; and Armenian Christians in the north and those in the south of the country will each elect one representative, according to Iranian constitution.

The Parliament or Islamic Consultative Assembly (Majlis-e Shura-ye Eslami) has 290 members, elected for a four-year term in multi- and single-seat constituencies. Elections for the Assembly of Experts are held every eight years. All candidates have to be approved by the Guardian Council. (ILKHA)