Pro-democracy legislators yesterday demanded that Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai quit as a deputy to the National People's Congress if she is re-elected Legco president.
They claim her role in the NPC has affected her impartiality in the past.
But despite coming under heavy criticism during a debate with Democrat Albert Ho Chun-yan, who is also running for the post, Mrs Fan dismissed the accusation and rejected the call to resign.
Mrs Fan - a pro-Beijing stalwart - was severely criticised by legislators during yesterday's forum over her decision in May to stop the pro-democracy camp moving a motion to 'strongly condemn' the NPC Standing Committee for ruling out universal suffrage by 2007.
She was also accused of being biased when she failed to convene an emergency meeting ahead of the NPC's interpretation of the Basic Law over constitutional reform in April.
Emily Lau Wai-hing, of The Frontier, said Mrs Fan would have no choice but to quit her NPC seat if she wanted to 'keep public trust and the president's credibility'.
Unionist Lee Cheuk-yan said: 'If you don't quit the NPC, how can people know you are not biased? How can we know whether you are for the interests of the NPC or the interests of Hong Kong when you ban people criticising the NPC again in the future?'