A street vendor holds up an American flag he is selling along a street in Accra
A street vendor holds up an American flag he is selling along a street in Accra July 8, 2009. The United States hopes President Barack Obama's decision to visit Ghana this week will spur other African governments to try and emulate the West African country's democratic record. Ghana won independence from colonial rule in 1957. A bloody chapter of military coups followed, but since Jerry Rawlings introduced multi-party democracy in the 1990s, opposition parties have twice won power through successful elections. REUTERS/Luc Gnago (GHANA POLITICS SOCIETY)