  The current experimental determination of the absolute values of the CKM
elements indicates that 2|Vub / Vcb/ Vus| = (1-z) with z given by z = 0.19 +(-)
0.14. This fact implies that irrespective of the form of the quark Yukawa
matrices, the measured value of the SM CP phase beta is approximately the
maximum allowed by the measured absolute values of the CKM elements. This is
beta = pi/6 - z/sqrt{3} for gamma = pi/3 + z/sqrt{3}, which implies alpha =
pi/2. Alternatively, assuming that beta is exactly maximal and using the
experimental measurement, sin(2beta) = 0.726 +(-) 0.037, the phase gamma is
predicted to be gamma = pi/2 - beta = 66.3 +(-) 1.7. The maximality of beta, if
confirmed by the near-future experiments, may give us some clues as to the
origin of CP violation.
