why are approvals sticking around for so long without having a decision made on them by the stakeholder?
Respectfully, the question should be, "in what order are the discussions on this forum arranged?"
Descending, of course. What's most relevant appears first. That which requires action most urgently appears first. Same exact principle applies to proofs. There are stragglers that may have fallen down the priority list for one reason or another, but those can always be revisited later.