Sept 6 (Reuters) - A slew of crucial reports are being delivered to the U.S. Congress this month to assess security and political progress in Iraq following President George W. Bush's decision early this year to send more troops to the country.

While the reports will outline some gains in security, Iraq is expected to get poor marks on the political front, where much attention has focused on a series of draft laws.

The laws aim to reconcile the ruling majority Shi'ite community with Sunni Arabs, who received preferential treatment under Saddam Hussein but now form the backbone of the insurgency. Following are the key laws. Their passage has been stymied by turmoil in the cabinet and parliament.

OIL LAW

Iraq's cabinet approved changes to a landmark draft oil law on July 3 and officials said it had been sent to parliament. But the draft was quickly criticised by Shi'ite and Sunni Arab politicians as well as the Kurdistan Regional Government, which had already forced renegotiation of the original draft.

Lawmakers say the government has yet to send the draft "officially" to parliament and senior officials now concede more talks are needed for a bill aimed at equitably sharing Iraq's vast oil wealth among the country's sectarian and ethnic groups.

DE-BAATHIFICATION LAW

Iraq's top five political leaders agreed on Aug. 26 on draft legislation that would ease curbs on former members of Saddam's Baath party joining the civil service and military. One senior official said the law, a key demand of Sunni Arabs, could be passed by the end of the year. But the measure -- as it has for months -- is likely to face stiff opposition from within the ruling Shi'ite Alliance and the committee tasked with purging Baathists from government.

Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said on Monday the government had sent the draft to parliament, although the assembly has not confirmed receiving it.

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.

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 on its work. There has been little public sign of progress.

PARLIAMENT

Parliament reconvened on Tuesday after a month's break. U.S. officials and lawmakers have chastised the legislature for not making much progress on passing vital laws. Iraqi parliamentarians say the government has yet to submit most of them. The movement loyal to Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has boycotted parliament twice in the past year. The main Sunni Arab bloc, the Accordance Front, has previously suspended its participation. Both blocs have since returned.

CABINET

Maliki's 37-member cabinet has been rocked by the withdrawal of more than a dozen ministers. None have been replaced.

These include the Accordance Front, which withdrew its six ministers on Aug. 1 for myriad reasons. Six ministers from Sadr's movement also quit in April over Maliki's refusal to set a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.

AlertNet news is provided by