Algebraic independence of multipliers of periodic orbits in the space of rational maps of the Riemann sphere

We consider the space of degree $n\ge2$ rational maps of the Riemann sphere with $k$ distinct marked periodic orbits of given periods. First, we show that this space is irreducible. For $k=2n-2$ and with some mild restrictions on the periods of the marked periodic orbits, we show that the multipliers of these periodic orbits, considered as algebraic functions on the above mentioned space, are algebraically independent over $\mathbb C$. Equivalently, this means that at its generic point, the moduli space of degree $n$ rational maps can be locally parameterized by the multipliers of any $2n-2$ distinct periodic orbits, satisfying the above mentioned conditions on their periods. This work extends previous similar result obtained by the author for the case of complex polynomial maps.