Modal Panel closes alone after opening

[lgweb]

How do I get to click a link to open a modal panel and run a method to create a new instance of a particular object?
I'm trying to well, but it displays the logo modalPanel and then closes, how can I solve this?
thank you.
Then my code:

 <h:commandLink value="#{msg.novo}" actionListener="#{Estado.Novo}"
 onclick="Richfaces.showModalPanel('loadEstado')">

My modal Panel

 <a4j:form id="frmestadomodal">
 <a4j:region renderRegionOnly="false">
 <rich:modalPanel id="loadEstado" autosized="true">
 <f:facet name="header">
 <h:outputLabel value="#{msg.cadastrarestado}"/>
 </f:facet>
 <f:facet name="controls">
 <h:graphicImage value="/images/BOTOES/cancel.png" width="20" height="20"styleClass="imagem"
 style="cursor:pointer" onclick="Richfaces.hideModalPanel('loadEstado')" />
 </f:facet>
 <center>
 <h:panelGrid columns="3" width="390">
 <h:outputText value="#{msg.codigo}"></h:outputText>
 <h:inputText value="#{Estado.estado.estadoid}" id="codigo" disabled="true" styleClass=""></h:inputText>
 <h:inputHidden value=""></h:inputHidden>

 <h:outputText value="#{msg.estado}"></h:outputText>
 <h:inputText value="#{Estado.estado.uf}" id="estado" label="Estado" required="true" size="40" styleClass="" tabindex="1"></h:inputText>
 <rich:message for="estado" styleClass="erro" showDetail="false" showSummary="true"></rich:message>

 <h:outputText value="#{msg.sigla}"></h:outputText>
 <h:inputText value="#{Estado.estado.sigla}" id="sigla" label="Sigla" size="2"
 tabindex="2" maxlength="2" required="true">
 </h:inputText>
 <rich:message for="sigla" styleClass="erro" showDetail="false" showSummary="true">
 </rich:message>
 </h:panelGrid>
 <center>
 <a4j:commandButton action="#{Estado.create}" value="#{msg.salvar}"
 onclick="Richfaces.hideModalPanel('loadEstado')">
 </a4j:commandButton>
 <a4j:commandLink value="#{msg.novo}" actionListener="#{Estado.Novo}">
 </a4j:commandLink>
 </center>

 </center>

</rich:modalPanel>
</a4j:region>
</a4j:form>

[fabmars]

Imo the form should be inside, not outside of the modal panel. it's written in the docs, there are 2 golden rules about this.

[lgweb]

ut the tag (a4j: form) within the modal panel but even so it still closed soon after opening.

[lgweb]

could solve with the code below but the fields are dirty when you open the panel as modal can I make it open with the fields blank?

 <a4j:commandLink value="#{msg.novo}" immediate="true" actionListener="#{Estado.Novo}"
 oncomplete="Richfaces.showModalPanel('loadEstado',{width:450, top:200})">
 </a4j:commandLink>

Thanks