SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic - (AP) -- Demanding their leader stay in his post, more than 100 members of a governing party faction remained locked in their headquarters Tuesday after spending the night there.

  Dominican Revolutionary Party leaders bolted the headquarters' doors late Monday when 20 gunmen in civilian clothes showed up demanding that Hatuey de Camps leave his post. The men eventually left without incident.

  ''We are staying to defend our party'' said Felipa Gómez, a party representative in the lower house of Congress who is leading the group inside. ''Hatuey is the legitimate president'' of the party.

  The standoff came after the party formally nominated President Hipólito Mejía as its presidential candidate Saturday, and replaced de Camps with Vicente Sanchez Baret, a party organizer.

  The Central Elections Division validated the results of a Jan. 18 primary, which Mejía won, leaving opponents within the party powerless.

  De Camps, who was not in the building, said Tuesday he wouldn't resign as party leader. De Camps called the shutdown a ``courageous act.''