The Mayor of Taipei is the head of the Taipei City Government and is elected to a four-year term. Until the election of Tsai Ing-wen, the office was seen as a stepping stone to the presidency: presidents Lee Teng-hui, Chen Shui-bian and Ma Ying-jeou have all held this position prior to being elected president. Taipei was elevated as a special municipality from 1967. The mayor was a position appointed by the central government from 1967 to 1994, and the first public election for Mayor of Taipei was held in 1994. The incumbent mayor is Ko Wen-je.