FACTBOX-Iraq's key political benchmarks

Nov 15 (Reuters) - With violence dropping across Iraq, U.S. officials say it is now time for Iraqi political leaders to match security gains with movement on key legislative goals aimed at promoting national reconciliation.

The "benchmarks" were to have been met by September but remain stalled amid factional fighting in cabinet and turmoil in parliament which has all but paralysed Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's Shi'ite-led government.

Washington hopes the laws will help to reconcile the ruling majority Shi'ite community with minority Sunni Arabs, who were politically dominant under Saddam Hussein and have formed the backbone of the insurgency.

Following are the key laws:



OIL LAW

Oil Minister Hussain al-Shahristani said on Thursday that passage of the crucial oil law could still be months away because factions in parliament have been unable to resolve their differences.

The cabinet approved changes to the draft oil law on July 3 and officials said it had been sent to parliament, the third draft to make it that far. But it was quickly criticised by Shi'ite and Sunni Arab politicians as well as the Kurdistan Regional Government. It is now being renegotiated in cabinet.

The bill aims to equitably share Iraq's vast oil wealth among Iraq's sectarian and ethnic groups and determine how contracts are awarded.



DE-BAATHIFICATION LAW

The cabinet this week sent a fourth draft of the de-Baathification law to parliament, the previous one being sent after Iraq's top five political leaders reached agreement on Aug. 26. The draft legislation would ease curbs on former members of Saddam's Baath party joining the civil service and military. It is a key demand of Sunni Arabs but for months has faced stiff opposition from within the ruling Shi'ite Alliance and a committee tasked with purging Baathists from government.



LAW ON PROVINCIAL ELECTIONS

Sunni Arabs are represented in government and in parliament after taking part in national elections in December 2005, but they largely boycotted provincial elections in January 2005 and are under-represented in many areas where they are numerically dominant.

A law setting a date for provincial elections has yet to be agreed by the cabinet. A first draft was read six months ago and then sent to the State Shura Council, a body which vets legal language in drafts before they can be passed to parliament for debate. A Sunni parliamentarian says it is expected back in about a month from now and will then be sent to parliament for a second reading before it is voted on.



CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS

After more than six months of talks, parliament's constitutional reform committee failed in May to reach agreement on amending key provisions of the constitution. Parliament gave it until September to make a new report. Despite few outward signs of progress, officials say a constitutional committee is working and should deliver a final report by the end of 2007. (Writing by Paul Tait)