Mexico City, April 28 (teleSUR-RHC)-- Less than half of the population of Mexico has faith in the electoral process, with most of them believing it lacks transparency and includes vote buying by politicians, according to a new study by the country’s National Electoral Institute released Monday.

The study was released as the country prepares for its upcoming legislative elections June 7, when voters will elect 500 lawmakers to sit in the Chamber of Deputies for the 63rd Congress. The electoral institute found that 50 percent of respondents did not consider the elections reliable. The institute also found that only 27 percent said they could rely on the electoral process, and 24 percent of Mexicans consider the elections “partially reliable.”

According to experts, Mexicans have a negative perspective on the electoral process because they believe that there is lack of transparency in the procedure and a prominence of vote buying. This lack of confidence in the electoral process is also an indication of the larger feeling of insecurity and distrust towards the government in general.

The current government, particularly President Enrique Peña Nieto, but also state and municipal authorities across the country, have been implicated in several scandals. Among these include the mayor of Iguala's involvement in the disappearance of 43 students, while the federal government, as well as the army have also been implicated in this crime. Peña Nieto has also been implicated in several corruption scandals, including his wife’s purchase of a multi-million dollar house.