Ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili, who is now governor of Odessa region in Ukraine, said that UNM opposition party will win in the October 8 parliamentary elections in Georgia and he will return back to the country to take part in forming of government.

“We are winning on October 8 and we will defend this victory together with you – I have no doubt whatsoever about it,” he said while hosting a Q&A on Facebook Live late on Monday evening.

“I will definitely arrive in Georgia and will actively take part in forming of a new government and in the process of rebuilding of Georgia,” said Saakashvili, who chaired UNM party before losing Georgian citizenship late last year, and who is wanted by Georgia on multiple criminal charges, which he denies as politically motivated. “Several days are left before our meet in [Georgia].”

“The very people, who are now threatening to arrest me, will meet me with applause,” he said.

“I am confident that we are winning,” Saakashvili said. “Look at [ex-PM and founder of ruling GDDG party Bidzina] Ivanishvili, he is in panic; we are winning convincingly and we will form a government.

He said that exit polls, which Rustavi 2 TV plans for the upcoming elections, would be “our main weapon” to defend election results if the authorities try to rig the ballot.